1 Huge Secret To Avoiding Stress On Your Wedding Day

When we tell people we are full-time wedding photographers, we usually get one of three responses.

#1. Oh wow! I’m a photographer too! I’ve actually shot a few weddings myself! (just smile and nod, smile and nod)
#2. Oh that must be awesome! You guys get to do all of your work on Saturdays then. How cool! (bzzzzzzz…wrong…bless your heart)
#3. Oh that must be sooo stressful dealing with bridezillas and angry mothers and such. How do you guys do it? (the age-old question)

There are so many things we could say to all three of these responses, but today we want to focus on #3. We have quite a few things to say about the assumption that we deal with crazy brides and people who are constantly on edge!

But first and foremost is this. We really don’t deal with that!!! We really, truly work with the best people out there! You’re probably thinking, “Yeah you have to say that.” But we don’t have to! We really truly mean it! Our brides and grooms are the absolute best!!! And because we deal with amazing people, we really don’t deal with stressed out crazy brides or family members!

But secondly, we understand that weddings can be stressful. That’s the facts, man! It’s potentially the biggest day of your life! How could you not be a little bit stressed about that? We get it.

So today we want to share one secret to keeping all of that stress down as much as possible.

We like to give our couples a little insight into our experience with weddings. It goes like this. There is one portion of your wedding day that you don’t think will be stressful, but it is the silent stressor. You know what it is? It’s family pictures. Gasssp! How could that be?! Isn’t everyone just so happy and joyful at a wedding?

Well, yes. Usually they are. But think about it in perspective of a typical wedding day.

You have been planning every little detail of this day for a year. Maybe more. Maybe less. But suffice it to say, a long time! You have been working up to this moment where you say “I do,” exchange rings, plant that all-important first kiss and walk back down the aisle a married couple! Yay!!! Cue confetti!…or lavender, or sparklers, or bubbles, or…ribbons. Something! This is big!!! Everyone is hugging and dancing for joy and all manner of jollity is happening. You made it through! There is a collective sigh of relief as everything you have planned for has worked out just as you dreamed it would. As your adrenaline slows ever-so-slightly you realize you haven’t eaten anything today except the chocolate chip granola bar your mom forced you to eat saying, “we don’t want you passing out during the ceremony.” You simultaneously realize you are extremely thirsty because you needed to make sure your dress fit perfectly so you haven’t had enough water today. In fact, everyone is extremely hungry and ready to celebrate.

Oh, and by the way, it’s time for family pictures. Cue the “Price Is Right” losing sound effect.

It always falls at the worst possible moment for everyone! But at the same time, these images are so so important. If you don’t realize it at the time, you might in 4 years when grandma passes away. Ryan sadly learned that this year and he is so glad to have those pictures of grandma. Those images are incredible memories!

So how do we capture those images without making it a bad experience for everyone? In fact, a better question is “how do we make this a good experience for everyone?”

The answer is simple: A family photo list. See? We said it was simple!

But not very many photographers even do this! Here’s how it works. We send you a sacred document in advance of your wedding day. We have listed in it all of the most common family photos we would typically capture. From there, it’s the bride’s job to fill in the names of each group they want an image of during family photos! It’s really that simple!

Guys, we can’t even tell you what a change this made for us when we started going by these lists. It has so many benefits!

Before we started the list (I guess we are giving it a name now – forever it shall be called “The List”) we had a process. But once we got through immediate family there was a moment of “Ok what now?” where we had to ask the bride and groom what else they might want. The list takes care of that problem. We know what they want. We call out the names. We take the photos. We are done. Everyone is happy. And we all go to the reception and have a great time!

It also keeps over-excited moms (they mean well, of course) from jumping in and asking for this photo or that photo in the middle of our process. We can stick to the list and then if there are any other requests at the end, we can often fit in a few more!

Simple. Easy. No cleanup. Just like a good crock pot meal.

We know that those images are going to last a lifetime. They are so so important! But is there any reason family photos can’t go quickly and smoothly? We submit that they absolutely can and they should!!!

And if you are one of our #rabrides, we guarantee your family photos to be as simple and easy as possible! Let’s get you to that reception. Let’s get you some food. And let’s get you guys dancing the night away!

It’s a secret no more! Avoiding the stress is as simple as The List.